How unrealistic beauty standards are causing identity issues
These days, social media is doing more harm than good with young men and women becoming increasingly insecure due to unrealistic beauty ideals. In one way, the digital age has…
Has the skin lightener industry learned from Black Lives Matter?
Black Lives Matter activism has jolted the skin lightener industry. In June, manufacturers of skin lighteners joined other corporations in voicing support for the racial justice movement. Critics quickly pointed out the hypocrisy of…
A journey to afrofuturism; Dare us ditch the lemons?
The central ethos of the concept of Afrofuturism is the reimaging of the future through the lenses of the African. In the words of Mark Dery, the American author, who…
Elizabeth Ohene writes: Dawn versus dusk
The human race, I understand, is made up of morning people and night people. There are those who are at their best and most productive in the early morning hours…
Indigenous African Spiritual Practices Inspired The Major Religions Around The World
“There can be no doubt that “Western Religions” is a misnomer of the “nth” degree. It is as racist as it sounds. “Western Religions,” like “Greek Philosophy,” cannot escape its…
Elizabeth Ohene writes… Behind Ghana and Nigeria’s love-hate affair
We see them as too loud, and abrasive and chaotic and we believe they think they can outsmart everybody, especially Ghanaians. They think we are too submissive, not very smart,…
Black Lives Matter But Slavery Isn’t Our Only Narrative
Our historical understanding of Blackness is most commonly shaped by the story of the Atlantic slave trade – the forced movement of Africans to the West, in particular to the…
Report: The disrupting influence of coronavirus pandemic on WASSCE
Before 2020’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) was finally allowed to commence on August 17, it was postponed twice. The annual exam, usually conducted between May and June,…
Elizabeth Ohene writes: All-knowing neutrals
Last year, I wrote a column about Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and think tanks. I am revisiting the subject and I crave your indulgence if there is…
Undressing for redress: the significance of Nigerian women’s naked protests
Social media went abuzz on July 23, 2020, when hundreds of women – mostly naked – staged a protest in the northwestern state of Kaduna, Nigeria. Wailing and rolling on the ground, they…
What South Africa is doing to protect and share traditional medicine resources
African traditional medicine is gaining attention and innovation interest despite the advances in modern medicine. Most of the continent’s population use traditional medicine for at least some of their healthcare needs. Plants…
The Average Black Person Has Almost $40 Million Worth Of Melanin In Their Body
Melanin is worth more than gold. Melanated human beings are worth more than gold. The average melanated human contains millions of dollars worth of Melanin. VWR, a subsidiary of Avantor, is…
African farmers are younger than you think. Here is why
Over the past 20 years sub-Saharan Africa has registered the highest rate of agricultural production in the world. There have been knock-on effects with the region also seeing the fastest growth in off-farm employment…
What young people have to say about race and inequality in South Africa
Meritocracy is the belief that holding power or success should be judged on people’s individual ability, rather than on wealth or social connections. At first glance, this appears to be…
How grassroots video is building a film industry in Zimbabwe
There is a general perception that there is no film industry to talk about in Zimbabwe. This argument is mostly based on comparisons with other well-resourced film economies, such as…
Why is Somalia bent on legalizing child marriage?
Somali legislators are considering passing a bill that will give legal backing to child and forced marriages in the East African nation that already has one of the highest rates of child…
Let’s Raise A Glass To The Wonder Women Who Raise Up Other Women At Work
It was just a chance encounter over a bottle of bubbly, but it changed my job and my life “We’re on our last bottle of bubbly,” said the waiter, “and…
Lessons from a community-driven rabies vaccination campaign in Kenya
Every year, approximately 60,000 people die from rabies. Most of these deaths are children – who are often less able to defend themselves from animals – in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Rabies is usually…
How the Ashanti game of Oware was used by slaves in the Caribbean to plan their escape from plantations
Alice Otchere Johnson | Intern Writer Full bio Alice Otchere Johnson is a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts student at the University of Education, Winneba. When she is not…
“I Am So Proud To Be Jamaican” – Actress Kerry Washington Embraces Her Roots
“I am so proud to be Jamaican…I bow down to my lineage, to my heritage, to my history and to my belonging.” So said Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actress…